Update on my broken boat purchase

[toolsinbox]

Quick re cap for those just tuned in.
Bought a 21 ft scarab 454 with alpha outdrive. I bought it 600 miles from home when it was really cold so I took it home, without having it run, and a few weeks ago I put it in the water and the engine sucked water into the combustion chambers like a kid with a slurpee on a hot day. Found the problem was the LS6 heads were machined soo much that the rings on the head gasket were partly in the combustion zones not getting a propper seal.

I got a rough parts quote of 1500 buks for heads, intake, gaskets. and ring gear. The shop will build the heads and I do the rest. The shop has yet to check the rest of the block to make sure all is well.

The good news is I contacted the person I bought the boat from and she will pay for the parts and what ever the bill is at the shop. I think that is just great! Assuming the block is still good, and I am 99 % sure it is all should turn out well. On the brite side my son and I got to paint the bilge and engine bay today nice and fresh.( great to do with no engine in it). I hope all will turn out well just wanted to share my story with you all and it goes to show you that there are still honarable people in this world.

 

[jakebrake]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

and thank god for them! it's good to see this sort of thing still exists. i have to assume that boat wasn't cheap.

 

[towman818181]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

wow how cool is that well id take the money you were looking at spending on the parts and spend it on the little lady so you can have more time to enjoy you boat

 

[gadget73]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Wow, thats mighty decent of the seller. I've gotten too used to the "so sad, too bad" response from people that I don't even bother anymore. half the time when I've gotten something used, its because someone else knew it was messed up and they were looking to pawn it off on someone else.

 

[toolsinbox]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Well the block didnt check out. The #8 piston was out by 170 (thousand th of an inch I think) and one other was out a bit too the rest were ok but the shop insisted on new pistons and rods as well. They are going to clean up the cylinder walls 10 over( what ever that means).

Guess what!!!!!

I contacted the seller with the bad news and they agreed to pay the full shot for the repairs. I am blown away. The total will be about 3500 bucks once it is all said and done. I have to figure out a way to thank them as they are so far away from me I just feel they need to be properly thanked somehow. Any ideas would be great.

I try to treat people with respect and stuff and it is so nice to be treated as I do to others. For a change.

 

[dodgezilla04]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

write a letter to the editor of their local paper..

 

[pinecrestwoods]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Wow... you should drive 600 miles and take her out for an expensive dinner...... several times. I find that amazing, unless she intentionally hosed you.
I assume she did not do this work herself in her garage. No- she took it to a shop, assuming they would perform necessary work and make the thing run great. She probably paid quite a bit for it, too. How was she supposed to know?... I doubt she and her mechanic schemed to do a poor job just to screw you. What story did she tell you- had she run it since the work was done? Actually, scratch that..... it doesn't matter. Maybe it worked great for her, maybe she never put it in the water again, maybe she ran it 1 time or 1,0001 times- it was a ticking timebomb.
Don't get me wrong- this has been an amazing deal for you- it sucks to get stuck with a lemon. BUT.... that's why you (as you know extremely well by now) should have checked it out extensively.... maybe it would have ran flawlessly one more time until you got it home- no warranty, no pay- that's the risk of a used machine.
Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't.... it's your job to know what to look for. (I one time bought a machine without having run it, confident in my mechanical abilities- that was a $50 mower.... and when I did get it running, the rings were toast, and I threw it away).
Again, this is great of her to help out with this.... actually MORE than great- it's unheard of, because it is truly unreasonable. I hope you don't charge her for some fancy billet aluminum valve covers. Count your lucky stars, do something VERY nice for her, and enjoy your boat.

 

[toolsinbox]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Actually the story is far more sad than what you think.

Her husband bought this boat in the states and back in 07 he bought a brand new engine from a place out of California for 8 grand. Him and a machanic friend put it all together and got it runnung great and then he got cancer. Only ran the boat for a few hours on the new engine and then passed away. When I went to get the boat I met the machinac and her and there was a bit of wiring to do and a bit of installing on the new interior to do. But the boat looked great. I agreed to buy it as long as the engine worked as I was unable to run it in the cold. They assured me all was well and I am sure that is what they believed. She is sticking to her end of the deal. I paid 6 grand for the boat and trailer. I am flabergasted with her honesty and her integrity is of the highest order. This is an emotional deal for everyone involved thats why I want to thank her family properly.

A letter to the newspaper is a great idea I just have to get the right wording.

 

[pinecrestwoods]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

I agreed to buy it as long as the engine worked as I was unable to run it in the cold. They assured me all was well and I am sure that is what they believed.

Oh....... well that's kind of an important detail. So you were holding out on that, baiting some responses? I get it.

An $8k motor.... I suppose some HiPo shop built it up thinking it would kick butt, but really new nothing of what they were doing? Trying to up the compression so much they trashed the heads, and, consequently, the engine. I'm surprised they left enough cylinder to go another .010". You might want to ask how much it's been bored. I'm not sure what is considered "safe" for marine applications. I would start asking about a different block if you're going to be "40 over stock," but that's me. I suppose too much time has passed for an engine warranty. I wonder if there was an hours or miles warranty. I don't know how "they" generally do it.

 

[toolsinbox]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

I wasnt baiting for responces pine,. I just tried to keep the story as short as possible. I appoligise for leaving that out.

The engine was originally bored 30 over I think thats what the add said. so the shop is taking a bit more to clean up. You mentioned the compression I am not sure what it was but the shop said somthing like it was 10 to 1 but should be around 8 to 1 for a boat. I think I will ask in another thread about that stuff. They were interested in the cam too. I think they will change that out if they arnt happy with it.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Wow... you should drive 600 miles and take her out for an expensive dinner...... several times. I find that amazing, unless she intentionally hosed you.
I assume she did not do this work herself in her garage. No- she took it to a shop, assuming they would perform necessary work and make the thing run great. She probably paid quite a bit for it, too. How was she supposed to know?... I doubt she and her mechanic schemed to do a poor job just to screw you. What story did she tell you- had she run it since the work was done? Actually, scratch that..... it doesn't matter. Maybe it worked great for her, maybe she never put it in the water again, maybe she ran it 1 time or 1,0001 times- it was a ticking timebomb.
Don't get me wrong- this has been an amazing deal for you- it sucks to get stuck with a lemon. BUT.... that's why you (as you know extremely well by now) should have checked it out extensively.... maybe it would have ran flawlessly one more time until you got it home- no warranty, no pay- that's the risk of a used machine.
Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't.... it's your job to know what to look for. (I one time bought a machine without having run it, confident in my mechanical abilities- that was a $50 mower.... and when I did get it running, the rings were toast, and I threw it away).
Again, this is great of her to help out with this.... actually MORE than great- it's unheard of, because it is truly unreasonable. I hope you don't charge her for some fancy billet aluminum valve covers. Count your lucky stars, do something VERY nice for her, and enjoy your boat.

Dude, you are rambling.

 

[toolsinbox]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

Here is a pic of fresh engine in. Took the morning and made an alignment tool and the afternoon dropping in the iron. Nice to see at least some progress. It was so friggn cold out we did it in the shop. Went very smoothly. Thanks to the contributers for the dimentions for the alignment bar and the heads up to drill a hole in the end of the bar. It is good for hanging it and apparantly for an extention to slide in. I guess I will find how it works this weekend. I will leave the rest of the build for warmer days.

 

[zebrex]

Re: Update on my broken boat purchase

pics of the boat please